Maclean's Music (110 preliminary Beyer)

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

Yeah, but wasn't Skip Away something like 4 of 11 that year?

It's hard to give HOY to a horse that didn't even win half of its starts.

They gave it to Ferdinand in 1987 when it should have gone to Java Gold. Even Manila or Theatrical would have been a better choice than Ferdinand.

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

They gave it to Ferdinand in 1987 when it should have gone to Java Gold. Even Manila or Theatrical would have been a better choice than Ferdinand.

Yeah, and Alysheba would have been a bad choice, too, I suppose.

That essentially meaningless '87 Travers holds as much water for you as the Saratoga main track did that day.

All it proved was that the opportunistic Java Gold was a superior mudder relative to Alysheba and Bet Twice (you know, the two most battle tested and accomplished 3yos that year).

Not sure he deserved HOY for that.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

Yeah, and Alysheba would have been a bad choice, too, I suppose.

That essentially meaningless '87 Travers holds as much water for you as the Saratoga main track did that day.

All it proved was that the opportunistic Java Gold was a superior mudder relative to Alysheba and Bet Twice (you know, the two most battle tested and accomplished 3yos that year).

Not sure he deserved HOY for that.

I loved Java Gold....but he shouldn't have been HOY. While it was obviously Pat Day's fault he lost the JCGC, he still lost that race, and with it any legit claim to the award.

Just because you think a horse should have won an award, or was the best horse to race in a given year, doesn't mean it deserves the award.

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

I loved Java Gold....but he shouldn't have been HOY. While it was obviously Pat Day's fault he lost the JCGC, he still lost that race, and with it any legit claim to the award.

Just because you think a horse should have won an award, or was the best horse to race in a given year, doesn't mean it deserves the award.

Yeah, it's a shame he didn't come out as a 4yo to prove whether or not he was better than Alysheba. Not running in '88 and missing the Triple Crown leaves with him with an incomplete career. Judging by comments from Mack Miller, it seems that a lot of it was by design (anti-KY Derby, syndication concerns) rather than necessity.

Speaking of not running at 4, how dominant would Forty Niner have been in NY at 4 (at least until the Whitney) had he shown up? Even better if Seeking The Gold held up.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

Yeah, it's a shame he didn't come out as a 4yo to prove whether or not he was better than Alysheba. Not running in '88 and missing the Triple Crown leaves with him with an incomplete career. Judging by comments from Mack Miller, it seems that a lot of it was by design (anti-KY Derby, syndication concerns) rather than necessity.

Speaking of not running at 4, how dominant would Forty Niner have been in NY at 4 (at least until the Whitney) had he shown up? Even better if Seeking The Gold held up.

Forty Niner would have dominated, as you said, until Easy Goer started running in the big races for olders.

Seeking the Gold finishing in a three horse photo with Proper Reality and entrymate Dancing Spree in the 1989 Met was a sad moment.

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Forty Niner would have dominated, as you said, until Easy Goer started running in the big races for olders.

Seeking the Gold finishing in a three horse photo with Proper Reality and entrymate Dancing Spree in the 1989 Met was a sad moment.

I thought Proper Reality was a pretty bitchin' horse myself.

Never was a fan of Dancing Spree though.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

I thought Proper Reality was a pretty bitchin' horse myself.

Never was a fan of Dancing Spree though.

Yeah, but that was his coming out party....and he couldn't have beaten Seeking the Gold when he was good.

Dancing Spree did win the BC Sprint later that year.

[Merlinsky]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Just because you think a horse should have won an award, or was the best horse to race in a given year, doesn't mean it deserves the award.

Amen.